Office of Gov. Dennis Daugaard

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard and Attorney General Marty Jackley today announced formation of an Open Government Task Force that will study open record and open meeting laws in South Dakota to ensure maximum public access to state government business.

“The workings of government should be as transparent as practicable,” the Governor said. “Unless there is a compelling reason otherwise, I believe government information should be open and easily accessible.”

The task force includes media; city, county and state officials; representatives of various organizations; law enforcement; prosecutors; and others.

“This task force will continue work that has been done in the past decade that led to creation of the Open Meeting Commission and an Open Meeting statute that presumes most state government records are public,” the Attorney General said. ““Reviewing the current process with those who deal with open records and meetings each day is invaluable and should be considered.”

The Open Government Task Force will meet several times this summer and fall, and then report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Attorney General. The initial meeting of the group will be Aug. 22, at 1 p.m. CDT, in the Capitol Lake Visitor Center at Pierre.

A likely result of the study will be legislation that would continue to improve and update open record and open meeting laws.

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*Members of the Open Government Task Force:

Diane Best, assistant attorney general, Office of the Attorney General

Dale Blegen, publisher, De Smet News

Jim Bolin, state Representative, Canton

Dave Bordewyk, general manager, South Dakota Newspaper Association

Pat Butler, managing editor, Rapid City Journal

Jonathan Ellis, journalist, Sioux Falls Argus Leader

Jason Gant, Secretary of State

Tena Haraldson, director of communications and media relations, University of South Dakota

Joe Kafka, press secretary, Office of the Governor

Maricarrol Kueter, executive editor, Argus Leader

Shawn Lyons, executive director, South Dakota Retailers Association

Jack Marsh, president and chief operating officer, Al Neuharth Media Center, University of South Dakota

Al Novstrup, state Senator, Aberdeen

Bob O’Keefe, deputy state’s attorney, Davison County

David Owen, president, South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Dave Pfeifle, city attorney, Sioux Falls

Wade Pogany, executive director, Associated School Boards of South Dakota

Sara Rabern, public information officer, Office of the Attorney General